Truck bodies for light trucks which are generally known as half-ton trucks and three-quarter-ton trucks, are generally arranged with multiple compartments so that tools, parts, supplies and other trade articles can be stored and carried in the truck body. In some instances, the truck bodies have been applicable directly to the frame of the truck in a single unitary construction. Representative of such unitary truck body constructions is U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,038 which illustrates longitudinally extending compartments at each side of the truck body and a deck therebetween, all being solid and in one piece; and also the body construction illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,713, which is also solidly built and formed in a unitary single piece construction. Typical pickup trucks are also modified to carry cabinets, tool boxes, and tanks. In some instances, these are confined within the box of the pickup truck, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,704; or are suspended from the side walls of the box of the pickup truck as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,352; or are mounted on specially constructed track so that the entire cabinet may roll off the truck box as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,529. Other unitary truck bodies are integrally formed, but may be separate from the intermediate decking and the cross frame members which overlie the truck frame, so as to be readily transportable for shipping and warehousing; typical of such unitary truck body construction is in U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,754.
Truck bodies have primarily been constructed of steel, but there have been some truck bodies recently constructed of fiberglass; however, because of the integral one piece construction of such truck bodies, any damage to the truck body requires very substantial rebuilding or straightening of the damaged body.
Of course, steel bodies have always had the disadvantage of rusting out under influence of salt and other chemicals applied to roadways to combat snow and ice, and, of course, steel requires constant maintenance by painting or other refinishing.